


Unexpected Side Effects

by Olivers_ITGirl



Category: Figure Skating RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Platonic Roommates, Romance, Unresolved Romantic Tension, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-10
Updated: 2018-10-09
Packaged: 2019-06-25 14:18:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15642468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Olivers_ITGirl/pseuds/Olivers_ITGirl
Summary: Tessa settled on a smirk and a spark in the eyes that Scott knew so well. “You want to set them up, don’t you? Kaitlyn and Andrew?”He smiled back at her, moving to stand in front of his skating partner.  “It’s just, that way we wouldn’t have to hear them complain anymore and our friends would be happy. A win-win situation if you ask me,” he replied.





	1. Two (Love)Birds, One Stone

**Author's Note:**

> This all started when a movie was mentioned in the gc and someone suggested a story was written based on it. This ended up being nothing like the movie and I credit it to the fact that I had only watched the trailer before the plotting bunnies started working.
> 
> A big thank you to Phie (smoirxtvirtue) for letting me bother her with ideas and for helping me plan this story and Kat (tessatomyscott) for being an incredible beta and keeping me from going crazy. Love you both to pieces.
> 
> This is a bit of an AU (mostly where Kaitlyn and Andrew are concerned) and you will be able to understand why in the first few chapters.
> 
> Hope you enjoy and make sure to leave a comment!

Tessa knew something was wrong when she caught Scott trying to push through a lift for the third time that morning, his jaw clenched as he tried to breathe out through his nose.  
  
As soon as her skates hit the ice, she turned to look her partner in the eye, concerned that he might be hiding some sort of injury from her.  
  
It’s not something she was expecting from him after all the hours they had devoted to working on their bond and the communication necessary for them to be at their best. The best they could be for each other and for themselves.  
  
“What’s going on,” Tessa asked as she skated towards the boards, a clear indication that they were taking a break and he was to follow her.  
  
“What’s going on with what?” Tessa heard Scott say as he approached her, reaching around her for his water bottle.  
  
She grabbed hers and mimicked his actions, taking a few sips before returning it to its rightful place. They didn’t break eye contact as she waited for him for actually answer her question.  
  
“I’ve heard you wince three times today, which means something is wrong and you’re not telling me. We’ve been through this before, Scott.”  
  
He was the one to avert his gaze first before muttering a few words that even Tessa couldn’t comprehend.  
  
“You’re going to have to repeat that. Preferably louder,” she sighed. They had just finished their first undefeated season after twenty years, their coaches were undeniably supportive of them and they had just performed at their last shows, which meant they finally had the time to skate for themselves. Everything should be going smoothly, a bit boring even. Alas, it was not.  
  
“I hurt my shoulder when I was helping Andrew move into his apartment,” Scott said, wincing at the memory. It hadn’t been fun, specially when his childhood best friend had to make sure it wasn’t dislocated.  
  
“Why wouldn’t you tell me that? We didn’t have to come to the rink today,” Tessa replied, moving to stand even closer to him, reaching to touch the spot that was generating his discomfort. He relaxed under her touch, closing his eyes briefly before he felt the need to answer her question.  
  
“I didn’t want you to worry and I still wanted to skate with you. I will always want to skate with you,” he murmured this last part, knowing she was close enough to hear it, and still wanting to take the risk.  
  
Both of those reasons had been essential when he first debated whether or not he should keep the otherwise insignificant incident from her, but what had acted as a tiebreaker was what led to it.  
  
If Tessa were to ask him how he had gotten injured, he knew he couldn’t simply tell her that he had been distracted after Andrew jokingly asked him when he was planning on proposing to Tessa.  
  
That would lead to a very uncomfortable laugh from Tessa and a stupid remark on his behalf. They would try their best to avoid the topic again and whilst the morning would go on as usual after just a few moments, the matter would stay on both of their minds for at least the next few days.

He wouldn’t risk that. He didn’t think he could take another moment where they would almost discuss it— whatever it was they had going on —, but winded up taking the easy way out at the last minute. One of them would expertly avoid the matter and the other would diligently follow their lead— sometimes feeling grateful, other times frustrated.  
  
“We could have postponed practice. Has someone taken a look at it? To make sure it’s not too bad,” Tessa says, her voice as soft as the hand she was resting where his neck met his shoulder.  
  
When he tried to take a deep breath, he felt his lungs betray him, his body shuddering in lieu of the expected calming effect. “Yeah, Andrew’s used to these kinds of injuries and made sure it wasn’t anything too serious. I’ll be as good as new in a couple of days.”  
  
The look on her face could only be described as bemused. Scott was sure she must be feeling more than a bit exasperated at his antics, but she spared him from any more comments, moving to sit on the boards.  
  
He turned to look at her, silently asking her if they were done for the day. He really didn’t want them to be, having missed the feeling of her hand in his now that they didn’t have to spend as much time on the ice. However, his shoulder had been complaining the whole time and he wasn’t keen on going to the ER, were it to get worse.  
  
“It’s not like we’re going to skate for much longer today.” Tessa shrugged and patted the spot next to her, wanting him to join her on the boards. “We can skate a few more laps before we go home.”  
  
_Home._  
  
Home meant various things to him: his parents’ house in Ilderton, the house he had bought and was working on fixing with the help of his brothers, and Tessa. Always Tessa. The fact that he actually got to go home to her everyday still felt surreal. Didn’t matter if at the end of the night, they said goodnight and headed to their respective beds.  
  
Instead, Scott settled for leaning against the boards, not wanting to risk it. “So, how was your girls day with Kaitlyn?”  
  
Tessa’s features morphed into a grimace as she thought about whatever had been going on while he was helping Andrew move furniture around. “Kait spent the first hour interrogating me about my love life until I finally got her to admit that she was only that interested, because she wasn’t having any luck in that department.”  
  
Scott paused for a few seconds after he heard the words ‘love life’ come out of Tessa’s mouth, his mind going black until the words of their mutual promise came back to him. _No outside distractions._  
  
He wasn’t sure if he should comment on that, but Tessa didn’t seem to notice his hesitant demeanor as she continued talking about the previous day, her hands moving as if to show him whatever it was she was thinking about.  
  
His mind focused again as soon as he heard ‘Tinder’ and he made sure to pay attention to whatever his best friend was about to say.  
  
“Finding a good date online is probably not an easy task, even more so when you’re not looking for a one night stand, so I don’t know what she was expecting.” Tessa paused for a second, taking a deep breath before continuing her monologue. “At least, she’s over that ex. Remember when I told you I didn’t get a good vibe from him? Unfortunately, I was right.”  
  
As he tried to pay attention to the words leaving Tessa’s mouth, he remembered just how the subject of his and Andrew’s conversation had gotten to his love life _with Tessa._  
  
Scott had tried his best to burn that particular memory from his brain, not needing to spend yet another sleepless night thinking about his imaginary future with his skating partner, who happened to be sleeping next door.

It seemed to work because Scott’s mind didn’t immediately wander to Andrew and all the girls his hockey teammates had set him up with. None of those ended well because they were just looking for a rich boyfriend and not a long lasting relationship.

Well, it seemed like their days hadn’t been completely different after all.  
  
“I have an idea... that might actually work,” he added the last few words when Tessa turned to look at him, eyebrows raised. “When I was over at Andrew’s, he kept complaining about the girls he has gone on dates with. Apparently he’s ready to give up on dating for a while if no one interesting comes up. I had forgotten about all of that, but then you brought up Kaitlyn’s problem and that got me thinking,” he trailed off, getting distracted by the different expressions on Tessa’s face as she followed his train of thought.  
  
She settled on a smirk and a spark in the eyes that he knew so well. “You want to set them up, don’t you?”  
  
He smiled back at Tessa, moving to stand in front of her. She subconsciously parted her legs and he stepped closer in response. “It’s just, that way we wouldn’t have to hear them complain anymore and our friends would be happy. A win-win situation if you ask me.”  
  
He could practically hear her think as she took the time to consider his idea, probably already scheming and imagining the whole thing.  
  
“I’m only agreeing to this, because I think Andrew might actually be the right person for Kaitlyn,” she pointed out, trying to make it clear that she was a good friend. He didn’t really see the point, considering he was the only one there and he was the last person who needed convincing.  
  
“I know, Tess,” he reassured her, grabbing the hand that was resting on her thigh. “I’m only suggesting it, because Kaitlyn is far from the phony women Andrew is tired of. I’m confident they’ll get along.”  
  
He felt her turn his hand over, letting her fingers trace the irregularities that marked his palm, from the expected lines to the small scars and rough patches that resulted from years of skating.  
  
“If we do this, we have to do it right. Go all in.”  
  
He forced himself to look away from their hands and meet her gaze before asking for a more detailed explanation. “What do you have in mind?”  
  
“Why don’t we leave this conversation for later? We can open a bottle of wine and plan this whole thing out properly,” she suggested.

_It’s a date_ , he thought ironically. He settled for “sounds like a plan” instead.

* * *

Later that night, after they’d finished washing and drying the dishes, Tessa opened a bottle of red wine and Scott grabbed two glasses before moving to the living room.  
  
Anyone who walked into their apartment could spot Tessa’s personal touch everywhere. The mostly white decor, the fresh flowers adorning each room, the elegance and timeless feeling... it was all her doing.  
  
The difference from her other places was that now Scott’s presence was just as obvious, starting with the Leafs jersey hanging in the hallway amongst several family photos, his shoes placed next to hers by the door— hers perfectly aligned, his not so much—, and the copies of THN on the coffee table mixed with the interior decor and fitness magazines Tessa subscribed to.  
  
He settled on the couch, waiting for her to follow him and occupy her usual spot.  
  
It didn’t take long for her to grab her laptop and sit next to him before opting for her go-to position at the end of the couch, legs sprawled across Scott’s lap. She turned sideways so she could rest her legs on his as she waited for her computer to turn on.  
  
They sipped on the wine Tessa had since poured into their glasses before placing them safely on the coasters she had remembered to grab from the kitchen.  
  
Scott waited for her to take charge of the situation and finally let him in on what she had been thinking about since they first discussed this idea.  
  
“I was thinking,” he heard Tessa say as she stared at the screen of her laptop, pausing for a second as she typed something, before she met his gaze. “If we’re going to do this, we need to plan it properly. I think we both know Kaitlyn and Andrew well enough to have an idea of what they like.”  
  
He nodded and waited for her to continue as she quickly typed a few words before pressing enter.  
  
“Instead of sitting here forever to think of good date ideas, I figured we’d save some time and google it. We can veto them quicker and make a list of the ones we like.”  
  
That did seem like a more efficient approach, but how many dates were they planning, he wondered. When she seemed to be entertained looking for the right website, he voiced his concern. “Just how many dates will they be going on?”  
  
“Hopefully many,” she flippantly answers before stopping what she was doing and taking a second to think about his question. “If we truly believe they will work out, we need to set a strong foundation for their relationship.”  
  
“Have you thought about an actual number,” he asked, not sure what he wanted the answer to be. He didn’t want to spend his days planning dates that they weren’t even going on. On the other hand, he loved spending time with Tessa and he wanted to be a good friend, she seemed really excited about this for some odd reason.  
  
“What about seven?”

“Seven?”

His voice rose a few octaves and his eyebrows were probably closer to his hairline than moments before, but he couldn’t help his reaction.

“We would set some ground rules so they can get out of it if they end up not getting along, obviously.” Tessa replied, “I just want them to enjoy getting to know each other without having to stress about planning a date that is appropriate or the other would like, you know?”

Scott took the time to consider her words and marvel at how good of a friend— human being, really— she was. She’s happy to take the time to plan dates for other people if it meant their friends got to enjoy them.  
  
“Yeah, I get it. Seven, it is.” 

* * * 

A little over an hour and a bottle of wine later, they were finally getting somewhere as they chose what would be their friends’ fifth date if all went according to plan.  
  
“Let’s go through the list again to see if it all checks out,” Tessa said, her hair trying to escape the ponytail it was in.  
  
He looked down at the notepad Tessa had conjured up earlier and read her neat handwriting. “Our starter is a magnificent coffee date.”  
  
He saw her nod, steadily tapping her firm lower lip with a pen. “Casual date so they can get to know each other a bit without having to dress up.”  
  
“Second date is a classic. Dinner and a movie.”  
  
“They can carry out a conversation during their meal and then enjoy the other’s company for a bit longer before the night is over.”  
  
“Next up is the cooking class.” Scott smirked, knowing full well that this idea was entirely too ironic, even more so when Tessa had been the one to suggest it.  
  
“What? It will make a fun date. Picnic is next, right? They could put together their basket with whatever they learn from the cooking class,” she said hurriedly, making sure to move on to the next idea quickly.  
  
“Fifth and last for now, dance workshop. I actually wish I could watch this one. I’m sure Kaitlyn will be the best in the room, but my man Andrew will have his work cut out for him,” he laughed, trying to picture the hockey player being told to loosen his hips.  
  
Tessa shrugged and went back to the website they had found when they started the list. Something about the natural progression of dates... “Maybe he’ll do better than you think.”  
  
“Entertaining either way,” he remarked before moving on to the last two dates they needed to pick. “Any ideas for date numero six?”  
  
“I was reading their recommendations and maybe we should turn this one into a check in. The four of us could go out and have some fun before the last date. Just to see how things are going.”  
  
“Probably a good idea to make sure the kids are getting along before we pull out all the stops for the last date. Doesn’t involve a lot of planning either and we get to go so I’m in.”  
  
“Dinner and a few drinks are all it takes. The last date, however,” Tessa trailed off, chewing on her bottom lip as she got lost in that busy mind of hers.  
  
Scott forced himself to look away from her lips and focus on the problem in front of them. “What would your perfect date look like?”  
  
He saw the moment his words registered in her mind and she tried not to react. He knew her too well not to pick up on the way her eyes widened ever so slightly and her posture changed as she sat more upright.

“Drive up to the cabin, have dinner as we watch the sunset, go for a midnight swim maybe?” Tessa answered tentatively, tucking some of the stray hairs behind her ears before she quickly added an, “I don’t know.” afterwards to make it seem like she didn’t think about this more often than she should.

Scott stared at her for a few seconds before he cleared his throat and stopped himself from reading too much into her use of ‘we’.  
  
“We still have some time to think about that one so how about we ask Kaitlyn and Andrew for some clues later on,” he suggested, trying his best not to wonder what it would be like to go on that perfect date with her.  
  
“Yeah, we should do that,” she agreed, a yawn escaping her.  
  
Scott looked at his phone for the first time in hours and noticed it was nearing midnight. He placed the notepad on the coffee table before getting up and stretching, careful not to move his injured shoulder too much. When he reached his hand out to her, she was already looking at him.  
  
Tessa closed her laptop before she took his hand and followed him to the kitchen, each carrying a glass and some other miscellaneous items that needed to be returned to their rightful place.  
  
A few moments later, they walked down the hallway to the bedrooms, still holding each other’s hand. Scott tucked a stubborn piece of hair behind her ear and she leaned into his touch, both tired from having woken up early that morning.  
  
He kissed her cheek and whispered goodnight, only letting go of her hand when she whispered the same words back to him and moved to open the door to her own bedroom.


	2. Coffee Shop Encounters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tessa and Scott have to get Kaitlyn and Andrew on board with their plan. The day of first date is here: will it be a success or a complete failure?

The morning sun made itself known by the rays that snuck into her room, escaping through the curtains Tessa had carefully picked out. It started at the feet of her bed and slowly rose until she couldn’t ignore the brightness anymore.  
  
Sighing, she grabbed her phone from the small bedside table and checked the time. It was already past nine so she took a few seconds to marvel at the luxury of not having to set an alarm for an ungodly hour.   
  
After a quick bathroom stop, she opened her bedroom’s door and was greeted by a very distinct smell. The delicious scent of coffee and pancakes wafted up from the kitchen as she sleepily made her way to the land of the living.   
  
She stopped herself before crossing the room’s threshold, because in front of the stove, with his back turned to her, was Scott. That, itself, wasn’t new by any means since even before they lived together, he had always taken it upon himself to keep her fed at all times— even when that had meant using his key to get into her house in the morning.   
  
No, the news wasn’t related to his presence, but to his shirt. Or lack thereof.   
  
Tessa let herself appreciate the view for a few seconds before enough time passed and it wasn’t acceptable to blame it on her sleepy state anymore. She took a deep breath and did her best to look as grumpy— or adorably moody, as Scott had once put it— as she usually did.   
  
Scott turned around when he heard Tessa drag one of the stools away from the kitchen island— the one on the far left she chose every morning— sitting down without paying attention to what she was doing. That was probably why she had to stand back up for a second to remove a shirt from underneath her butt, paired with confusion written all over her face.   
  
“What’s this,” Tessa asked, shoving the hand that was holding the stained shirt in his direction.   
  
“Good morning to you too.” Scott chuckled, moving to retrieve the shirt he had been wearing earlier from her grasp, bopping her wrinkled nose as he did so. “I spilled some batter on it so I had to take it off.”   
  
Tessa hummed in response, not wanting to draw more attention to the issue that had already distracted her more than was appropriate in one morning. “Pancakes, huh?”   
  
She had to admit that it was a pretty pathetic question, but she had never said her brain was fully functional minutes after waking up— or in the vicinity of a shirtless Scott.   
  
“Well, I figured since this was officially day one of our plan, we could use the treat,” he said, already busy placing a perfectly round pancake on a plate. To this day she still thought her skating partner had magical powers that came to life whenever he approached a kitchen.   
  
“Where are you meeting Andrew, again? I want to make sure Kaitlyn and I don’t end up at the same place,” Tessa said, moving to grab her favorite mug and fill it with warm coffee that Scott had evidently already brewed for her.   
  
“I’m not too sure yet, but I’m meeting Andrew at his place so we’ll be staying in that area.”   
  
“Kaitlyn is meeting me here so I’m planning on taking her to that lunch spot by St. Laurent Blvd.”   
  
Tessa returned to her seat just in time for Scott to place her breakfast in front of her. She laughed as soon as she noticed the smiley face he had designed using chocolate chips. He had also taken the time to cut little ears in the pancakes while she had been busy getting her first caffeine fix of the day.   
  
Scott grabbed his own plate and sat next to her, his knee bumping hers.

Tessa looked over at him and placed a soft kiss on his cheek before she could get distracted by the muscles that she was so used to feeling through his shirt during practices, but rarely got to see up close.

They ate breakfast silently, enjoying each other’s company in a way that came naturally to them after so many years of hurriedly devouring granola bars as they sat on the boards side by side during their five-minute break.

* * *

Kaitlyn arrived to their apartment five minutes early, only having to climb two flights of stairs, and Scott let her in as Tessa finished getting ready.

“The black heels or adidas,” Tessa asked, having to raise her voice in order to be heard from the spot in her bedroom.

“Adidas,” Scott answered without giving it a second thought, already used to this particular part of their routine.

Whenever Tessa was having trouble choosing between the fashionable and the comfortable options, she would turn to Scott, knowing that he would always help her by picking the sensible alternative.

“Thanks,” she shouted back, hobbling out the door as she tried to put them on.

He turned to look at Kaitlyn, who was sporting a smile on her face and looked more than ready to tease him about the domesticity of it all.

“I need to leave, but Tess should be ready in a minute,” he told their friend, making his way to the door as Kaitlyn plopped down on the couch. “Tess, I’ll call when I’m done,” Scott said, not wanting to give too much away to Kaitlyn.

“Good luck,” he heard Tessa’s response as he closed the door to their apartment, only pausing for a second to echo her words.

Now, how exactly was he supposed to convince Andrew to follow along with their plan...

* * * 

Tessa had chosen to take Kaitlyn out for lunch at a familiar place suspecting that it would make the conversation easier for both of them, but so far they were halfway through their meal and she hadn’t been able to approach the topic yet.  
  
She had been waiting for the second her friend made a comment about her and Scott to swiftly pull a one-eighty and make the conversation conveniently about Kaitlyn’s love life instead.   
  
Somehow, that hadn’t happened yet. Instead, the skater had steered clear of the topic as if she knew something was up— which couldn’t possibly be the case because the last time they were together was before she and Scott came up with the plan.   
  
Not wanting to risk failing the first step of their intricate stratagem, Tessa used of the break in the conversation to her advantage.   
  
“So, how are your Tinder adventures going?”   
  
Kaitlyn chuckled nervously, grimacing a bit at the end. “Not great. I was this close to deleting the app yesterday,” she groaned, bringing her thumb and index fingers close together to illustrate her point.   
  
“That was actually the main reason why I wanted to have lunch with you today,” Tessa started, trying to gauge her friend’s opinion by reading her reaction.

“What? You’re worried I might end up alone with eighty cats,” Kait questioned, trying her best to keep a straight face before she continued. “Because, honestly? I am too.”  
  
Both of them laughed at that and Tessa took it as a sign to continue.   
  
“Not quite. One of Scott’s closest friends just moved here from Winnipeg and he happened to comment on his lack of luck in that particular department.” Tessa paused when she saw Kaitlyn’s eyebrows rise, her friend already showing interest in the direction this conversation was about to take. “Scott and I know both of you well enough to think that you’ll be a great match so we _might_ have come up with a plan.”   
  
“Might,” Kaitlyn said, her expression conveying just how amused she was at Tessa’s choice of words. “Were you two in need of a pet project so badly that you turned into matchmakers?”   
  
Tessa opened her mouth, ready to deny it, when she realized that Kaitlyn wasn’t that far off the mark. The two of them seemed to have something happening in their lives at all times and now that things were relatively calm, they had come up with an elaborate scheme to pair their two friends.   
  
“Scott and I will put together seven dates and all you’ll have to do is show up with a good attitude and try to get to know each other,” Tessa explained, purposefully ignoring the other woman’s question.   
  
“Seven?”   
  
Tessa bit the inside of her cheek, doing her best not to smile at how similar Kaitlyn’s reaction had been to Scott’s. There was a bit of incredulity in her friend’s voice so Tessa followed that statement with a rule that would hopefully put her mind at ease.   
  
“I know it sounds crazy, but we also came up with a few rules. I’ll let you back out of this if you don’t get along by the end of the second date.”   
  
“Well,” Kaitlyn started, taking a moment to gather her thoughts.”I’ve been on more dates with people that I didn’t like so I think I’ll survive. What are the dates?”   
  
”I’m not telling you that. I’ll help you with outfits, but that’s it,” Tessa answered, knowing that her friend would annoy her constantly for details no matter how much she claimed to enjoy surprises.   
  
“What other rules do you have?” Kaitlyn rested her head on her hands, having finished eating at this point.   
  
Tessa placed her cutlery down, mimicking her friend’s position before starting to tell her the other few rules that hadn’t been mentioned yet.

* * * 

A few blocks away, Scott was in the middle of letting Andrew in on the plan.   
  
The hockey player hadn’t been overly enthusiastic when he learned that he had to go on seven dates with someone he didn’t know, but Scott reminded him that he could give up at a certain point.   
  
Scott also made sure to tell Andrew that he, unlike his hockey teammates, had good taste in women. If that happened to be a half-lie, neither commented on it.   
  
“What else should I know about before agreeing to this?” Andrew was still debating whether or not this was a good idea considering he was still settling in after moving to a different city.   
  
“We need to take advantage of our break so there’ll be a date every week. You can cancel if something comes up, but only do it if you have a good reason, man.” Scott saw Andrew nod and try to absorb as much of the information as he could.

He took a moment to go through the mental checklist he had made after Tessa had repeatedly told him how important it was that to remember all of the rules. _Seven dates, can stop after the second, one date per week_ , he enumerated in his head. There was one that was still missing...   
  
_Oh_ .   
  
“Just a heads up, Tess and I will be at some of the dates. You won’t notice we’re there, but we want to make sure everything is going well.”   
  
Andrew smirked at Scott, not being able to resist the opportunity to tease his friend when he made it so easy. “Are you sure that’s not just an excuse to go on a date with miss Virtue?”   
  
Scott shook his head, choosing not to dignify the remark with an answer. “Shut up before I tell her you’re a bender or something.”

* * *

Tessa and Scott had been sitting at their usual table, sipping on their beverages of choice— Tessa enjoyed her cafe misto whilst Scott opted for a simple flat white — when they spotted Kaitlyn and Andrew walking through the door, too distracted by the other to notice their friends.  
  
When the ice dancers first met up with the potential lovebirds earlier that week, both had left lunch with a positive answer. Scott called Tessa immediately after he was done like he had promised and they had decided to order take-out that night and brainstorm over a tall glass of red wine.   
  
The first date had come together quickly enough. The place of choice had been the Toi, Moi & Café, a nice, serene coffee shop Scott and Tessa had discovered when they first moved to Montreal. It was familiar to Kaitlyn as well and she could be the one to introduce it to Andrew, who was still a little lost in the city.   
  
Tessa had called Kaitlyn and Scott had texted Andrew, asking if Saturday morning worked for them. Both had said yes— a word that Scott had Tessa had repeated when they high-fived a few minutes later.   
  
Saturday had come around and they made sure to leave the house fifteen minutes earlier, wanting to get to the café before Kaitlyn and Andrew. That’s how they found themselves sneaking glances at their friends as they sat down and talked animatedly a few tables away.   
  
“How much do you wanna bet Andrew is trying to woo Kaitlyn with his hockey skills,” Scott asked, a smile forming at the corners of his mouth, amused as he remembered the antics he had witnessed in the past.

They couldn’t hear the conversation, so Scott took the opportunity to make up for it. He cleared his throat and deepened his voiced before mimicking Andrew’s actions. “Oh yeah, I just got drafted for the Habs, you know, the Montreal Canadiens. I play defence… yeah, me and Price are like best buddies. Maybe him and I can bring back the triple low five, you never know what could happen on this team. ”

He stopped when Tessa couldn’t keep her composure anymore and started laughing a bit too loudly, asking him to stop before they drew attention to themselves.  
  
Tessa took a deep breath, trying to stop the laughter. She moved to take a sip of the coffee Scott had ordered for her when they had arrived and then it was her turn to make her partner laugh.   
  
“Oh, really,” she started, adjusting her voice to sound like Kaitlyn. “You should come by the rink one of these days. Maybe I can teach you some new tricks on the ice.”   
  
Scott starting coughing immediately, almost choking on his drink as he thought about what Tessa could have been implying. _Had she said that in one of his dreams? Yeah, he’s pretty sure she had._   
  
Tessa leaned over the table after he was back to breathing normally and gently wiped a couple of tears that had escaped his eyes moments before. “Are you okay?”   
  
“Yeah,” Scott answered, his voice hoarse. He cleared his throat before continuing, “yeah, your impression was pretty great.”   
  
Tessa smiled at him and shifted her attention back to the cup in front of her, her gaze fixed as she worked on finishing the drink. The muffin she had ordered was long gone, not giving her an excuse to filter her words before saying them anymore.   
  
Scott was the last person she needed to censor herself around, no matter the circumstances, but sometimes she still needed to take her time, carefully forming her sentences before she said them outloud.

That had been happening more often when she was alone with him and she allowed her mind to wander. The evenings spent together on the couch planning dates definitely hadn’t helped.

“They seem to be getting along, huh?” Scott’s voice brought her out of her reverie and she turned to look at their friends for the first time in about twenty minutes. 

Andrew and Kaitlyn seemed to be just as engaged in the conversation, the only difference being that the food they had ordered was now gone just like Tessa’s. She saw Kaitlyn’s hand briefly touch Andrew’s bicep before she casually moved it to rest on the table. The hockey player smiled in response, moving his hand closer to hers.  
  
Not long after that, she saw them getting up. They gathered their belongings and headed for the door, but not before Kaitlyn sneakily gave her and Scott a thumbs up. Apparently, they hadn’t gone as unnoticed as they had initially thought.   
  
Scott and Tessa waved the skater goodbye, cheeky smiles on their faces, before she and Andrew walked off together, presumably having made plans to keep the date from ending.   
  
Not wanting to intrude, they stayed at their table for a few more minutes before leaving the coffee shop as well, making the way to their own home.   
  
“You know,” Tessa started, slowing down her pace and turning to look at Scott. “Another benefit of this plan is that Kaitlyn will now spend most of her time ranting about Andrew instead of teasing us.”   
  
She felt Scott chuckle from his place next to her before she heard him talk. “Trust me, that applies to Andrew as well.”   
  
That simple phrase made Tessa stop walking, her eyes widening as she quickly came to the conclusion that maybe— just maybe— setting up two people that frequently gave them shit for not being together was not as brilliant as they had originally thought.   
  
Scott staggered to an halt, turning to look at her as he did _that thing_ with his eyebrows— the one she was used to seeing when he was worried about her. “Everything okay?”   
  
“Yeah, just wondering if in the end they’ll team up against us.”   
  
Scott looked taken aback for a second, going over that same scenario, but shrugged shortly after, raising his arm so she could snuggle up to him as they resumed walking.

“We’ll just have to tease right back.”

They walked the rest of the way home in silence with Scott’s arm draped over Tessa’s shoulder, leaning into each other as Scott’s chin rested idly on the top of her head.


	3. Dinner and a Movie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The second date comes around... will Andrew or Kaitlyn decide to call it quits or will everything go smoothly? What will Tessa and Scott be up to during the date?

Kaitlyn’s call on the night of the coffee date told Tessa exactly what she had needed to know: they were on the right path. Choosing a simple location for the first meeting had been a good idea and now she hoped the classic dinner and movie night would work just as well.  
  
Scott had called Foxy ahead of time, making two reservations: a table for two under the name Pojé and another similar reservation for Moir. He had requested their favorite table, allowing them to have a good view of most people in the restaurant whilst having plenty of privacy.  
  
Now Tessa was left standing outside her closet, clutching the towel wrapped around her body, surveying the numerous options displayed in front of her. She had yet to walk through the doors. She knew that if she got close to the section that Jordan had named ‘Tessa’s date clothes’ it would mean that she was officially picking an outfit to wear on a date with Scott. _Her_ Scott. The same Scott that she had wanted to go on a date with throughout most of her teenage years.  
  
Her sister often asked if those feelings had disappeared since then, and Tessa stuck with repeating that it didn’t matter every time. That was a pretty heavy box that had to remain closed until after she got to see Scott cry on top of the podium in Pyeongchang. She could envision the wide grin on his face, fresh tears in the corner of his eyes. She could see it so clearly that it felt just slightly out of her reach. Maybe if she tried hard enough, she could grasp it...

Tessa took a deep breath, raising a hand to rub her eyes. She couldn’t risk being late, so she slowly opened one of them and peeked at the clock resting on her nightstand. She groaned when she saw that it was nearing seven, giving her only fifteen minutes to pick an outfit that would make Scott wish this was a real date.

Time to face the music…

* * *

Scott parked his car a few minutes before their friends were scheduled to arrive to the restaurant. He hurried to get to Tessa’s side before she had the opportunity to open the passenger door, wanting to turn the non-date into the best experience possible for the two of them.

Dressing up and going out to dinner wasn’t a strange concept for them. Every once in a while, Tessa would come up to him and ask him to go to the new restaurant in town with her. He could never turn her down, even if sometimes all he felt like doing was taking a shower and watching a hockey match with Tessa curled up next to him on their couch.  
  
When she left her room earlier that evening, he had to remind himself— for what felt like the hundredth time— that the date wasn’t real, no matter how much he wished it was.  
  
She had twirled in front of him and asked for his opinion, a shy smile playing on her lips, and in that moment all he could do was nod enthusiastically and say ‘you look amazing’. He might have also thrown a thumbs-up in there for good measure, but he couldn’t think about that without wanting to cringe.  
  
Even now, as she accepted his arm and walked into the familiar restaurant by his side, he couldn’t help but marvel at her beauty. He came to the conclusion that whilst dark green was his favorite color on her, royal blue was a close second.  
  
He stopped momentarily as they approached the hostess. “Moir, table for two.”  
  
Tessa smiled as she stood next to him, enjoying the sound of those words for some odd reason. A reason she wasn’t about to explore during the short few seconds it would take them to reach their table.  
  
Tessa trailed behind him, the numerous tables no longer giving them the space necessary to walk side by side. She felt him extend his arm, expecting the hand she was resting on the inside of his elbow to lower and reach for his hand instead. She did just that, acting purely based on instinct and years of practice.  
  
He only let go of Tessa’s hand when they got to their final destination and he pulled out her chair so she could sit down. He then moved to sit across from her, taking her hand in his again, almost as if it was a reflex.  
  
Scott smiled briefly at the waitress as the young girl— whose name tag read Gabriella— handed them the menu. He slid his hand back to his side of the table and opened the booklet absentmindedly, not paying attention to what was being said as he watched his partner nod and smile.  
  
They were left alone and he quickly averted his gaze down to his menu when Tessa turned to face him again, not wanting to be caught staring.  
  
“What do you feel like ordering tonight?” he asked her, taking a moment to quickly scan the list in front of him, hoping that it would somehow help him decide.  
  
“I know we’re technically on break, but I’m sticking to the balsamic-glazed salmon,” she quickly replied, having made up her mind in what felt like record time.  
  
They tried their best to follow the diet designed for each of them, always finding a meal that was B2ten-approved no matter where they were. When they had decided to come back to the sport and give their Olympic dream another go, they were aware of the sacrifices that would come with it. Controlling their dietary habits was only a small part of it. Keeping whatever they had completely platonic was... substantial harder. On his part, at least.  
  
“I think I’ll go with the steak and cauliflower potatoes then,” he said, wanting to stick to that topic and knowing that it would be safer to opt for one of the dishes that he liked, but met the requirements set by their nutritionist as well.

* * *

They only became aware of the other pair’s presence when the waitress left their table for the second time that evening— this time with their orders.

Tessa noticed that Kaitlyn was wearing the black dress she had bought during one of their shopping trips. “I’m pretty sure she likes him already.”  
  
Scott’s head whipped around, trying to see if there was an obvious reason why she thought so. When all he found was their friends talking animatedly, he turned to look at Tessa again. Yes, they had big, bright smiles on their faces and Scott might have been afraid their faces would get stuck like that for a second— he refused to walk around with Andrew looking even more like a golden retriever than he already did—, but nothing seemed particularly telling about the scene.  
  
Tessa could tell he was confused, because it didn’t take long for her to elaborate. “Kaitlyn is wearing a very expensive dress that she would only wear— and I quote— for someone I deem worthy— unquote. She’s into him,” she shrugged, the corner of her lips lifting slightly in what could only be described as her patented ‘we did good’ smile.  
  
“You can tell that just by looking at what she’s wearing?” Scott asked, genuinely curious. He found the whole thing eerily similar to a superpower. To him clothes could only be divided into a few categories: working out/skating, lounging at home, running errands and, finally, being forced to dress up for some function.  
  
“Of course,” she answered, almost as if it was a fact as known as the sun setting every day. “Every dress has a story behind it. It could be what you bought it for, or who you bought it for.” She paused, averting her eyes for a second before continuing her train of thought. “Sometimes it’s neither and you buy it because it makes you feel a certain way.”  
  
“Well, what does that dress say?” he asked, pointing in her direction.

Tessa remained quiet for a second, looking down at the body hugging blue piece she had chosen to wear that night. It was only held by two of the thinnest straps she had ever seen and the asymmetrical cut showed a generous part of her right thigh. This was definitely a ‘dress to impress’ situation, but that wasn’t something she was willing to admit. Not when the only person that she could possibly be trying to impress was Scott.

“Jord gave it to me on my birthday,” she lied, keeping her eyes down as she pretended to examine the dress. “She said it would look good with my pale skin.”  
  
“Well, she was right,” Tessa heard him say under his breath from across the table and that was enough to bring her eyes back up to his.  
  
She saw Scott begin to open his mouth to continue speaking, but their food arrived before he could say anything.

* * * 

“Good thing we decided to watch a movie at home instead,” Scott said as soon as they walked through the door and he was finally able to unbutton the dress shirt he was wearing— one of Tessa’s favorites. Unfortunately, it might be ruined forever.

“I’m sorry,” he heard her say for the twentieth time that night.  
  
He had encouraged Tessa to go all-in on the dessert and order whatever she wanted, knowing full well she needed him to say that. She had ended up ordering the petit gâteau— her favorite dessert from Foxy— for them to share so she wouldn’t feel as guilty about indulging in the caloric treat.

They had been enjoying the small cake while they were discussing having dinner at the Dubreuil/Lauzon household before Billie-Rose started school again, but the subject quickly changed when they saw Kaitlyn feed Andrew a bite of the dessert she had ordered for herself and the hockey player return the favor.  
  
Tessa had decided to give it a go herself, because ‘there was no way in hell that was either necessary nor efficient’. The spoon had been an inch from Scott’s mouth when she realized she couldn’t reach it and they both started laughing, causing the chocolate cake to fall directly on his shirt, chocolate sauce smearing all over the light blue fabric.  
  
The room seemed to have fallen silent for a brief moment— even if he was almost sure it had just been the two of them— before they cracked up again.  
  
Tessa had gotten up discreetly at some point and moved to his side so she could attempt to clean up the mess she had caused, but he had suggested they leave after he took in the image of Tessa kneeling in front of him, her hands all over his chest. _How was he supposed to not react to that at all?_  
  
They had been done with their meal at that point and their job was done unless Kaitlyn and Andrew had a misunderstanding before the night was over— Scott suspected that was as likely to happen as a snow storm in the middle of July— so they left the restaurant and drove home like they had originally planned. The only difference was that Tessa had been hugging his side as they left, her arm covering the stain.  
  
Now he stood in the middle of their living room, a stained shirt in his hand as he waited for Tessa to get back. She had left the room after he had taken his shirt off, mumbling something about cleaning supplies so he decided to go ahead and go through their movie collection.  
  
The plan was to watch two movies so they could each pick one. Scott, however, was very aware of Tessa’s ancient tactic: she would ask to watch her movie first so he could watch his pick right before going to bed, he would agree and then she would fall asleep right after his movie started.

The number of times he had to carry her to bed probably equaled the number of times they decided to do some sort of movie marathon.

_Not tonight,_ he thought as he went through the DVDs he had brought with him to Montreal. He ran his fingers over the spines of the numerous cases, stopping when he reached _Bloodsport_.  
  
That night would be the night he would finally get Tessa to watch his favorite movie _with_ him instead of falling asleep _on_ him before the first action sequence was even playing on the screen.

Scott was working on getting the movie set up— he was still unhappy about it not being available on _Netflix_ — when Tessa came back into the room. She was still wearing her dress, but was now barefoot, a bottle of laundry detergent in one hand, her phone in the other.  
  
“It says to use laundry detergent and soak it in cold water, but it should come off,” she told him, eyes glued to her phone as she picked up his shirt from the back of the couch and left the room again, not even noticing that he had taken control of the television.  
  
Not knowing how long it would take to get rid of that stain, Scott headed to his bedroom, set on getting out of those dress pants and changing into something much more comfortable.  
  
Tessa seemed to have had the same idea, because by the time he sat down on the couch, she was walking into the room, wearing shorts and a Maple Leafs shirt that he was pretty sure belonged to him at some point.  
  
“Why am I currently looking at the opening credits of _Bloodsport,_ Moir,” Tessa asked as she moved to sit down next to him, tucking her legs under her before turning to look at him.  
  
“Since we’re both picking a movie tonight, the order doesn’t matter,” he replied as nonchalantly as he could, not wanting her to figure out that he was onto her shenanigans. “Plus you did spill chocolate on me,” he added, only slightly guilt tripping his partner.  
  
“I don’t know how I feel about this, but I’ll let it slide for tonight,” Tessa agreed, moving to rest her head on his shoulder as he pressed play with a grin on his face.

* * *

Turned out that not only was _Bloodsport_ not Tessa’s favorite kind of movie— no surprise there—, but she could barely watch it.  
  
Every time something remotely violent happened, she would bury her head in his chest and refuse to watch the scene, which meant she lost about 70% of the movie. She would happily sigh whenever something resembling romance played in front of them, but that didn’t happen as often as she probably would have liked.  
  
At one point, he had tried to get her to watch a fight sequence, knowing that it wasn’t a particularly bad one. “C’mon T, you’re missing out on all the fun.”  
  
“I highly doubt it,” she had muttered, her voice barely audible as she continued to keep her eyes averted from the television.  
  
“It’s not that bad,” Scott had argued quietly, already sensing that it was a lost cause. He moved them into a more comfortable position, raising his arm so she could cuddle into his side and hide her face whenever she needed to.  
  
“It has the word blood on the title, Scott. _Blood_!”  
  
He had given up at that point, choosing to focus on enjoying his favorite movie and the feeling of his best friend in his arms. Having Tessa so close to him made it seem like she was relying on him to protect her against the world and that was undeniably one of the greatest feelings he had ever experienced.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this update took so long, but my birthday came around and I decided to take some time for myself. Hope it was worth the wait!


	4. Sugar, Spice and Everything Nice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything seems to be going according to plan... That means it’s time for Tessa and Scott to plan the next date and it involves Tessa’s personal hell: the kitchen.

Tessa had just sat down on the couch and grabbed a book after her post-pilates shower when she heard the front door open and Scott’s signature “honey, I’m home”. He had started that trend when they had first moved in together and refused to give it up, insisting that if someone were to enter the house and not say anything, she would know they were an intruder immediately.  
  
Dramatic? Yes. Typical Scott? One hundred percent.  
  
She stayed quiet as she listened to his footsteps, which led her through the routine she was almost too familiar with. The first thing Scott did when he got home from his hockey games at the nearby rink was place his bag in the laundry room. Only then would he come find her before heading to the bathroom for a shower. Today was no exception.  
  
Tessa kept her gaze down, pretending to read as she watched him approach her from the corner of her eye. His figure quickly vanished from her peripheral vision and she gave up the charade, curious to see where her partner had disappeared to.  
  
She felt Scott before she could spot him as he sneaked up behind her before leaning over the couch and placing a loud kiss on her cheek.  
  
Tessa pretended to be grossed out by his sweaty state, making sure to scrunch up her nose just for show. In reality, she was more than used to it. She would be lying if she said Scott’s rumpled hair and flushed cheeks weren’t... adorable? _Yes, adorable sounds accurate._  
  
“How was your day?” she heard him ask as he circled the couch, moving to sit on the floor in front of her.  
  
“Scott,” Tessa laughed quietly, putting down the book, “you saw me three hours ago.”  
  
“So? I missed you,” he responded, ducking his head and focusing on her knee as if it was the most fascinating thing in the world. Scott could feel his cheeks getting warmer, but he quickly reigned it in using techniques he had acquired over the years. Techniques that had been coming in handy recently.  
  
“I missed you too,” he heard Tessa murmur a few seconds later and he finally brought his gaze back to hers, knowing he would find a sweet smile on her face.

Being so in tune with someone could be scary, but he was relieved they were past that stage and instead felt grateful for having such a rare connection so many people spent their lives searching for.

He grinned and pulled on her leg, working on diffusing the situation. He had noticed the amount of ‘moments’ they shared had been increasing lately and that just led to him having to snap out of it before he did something they weren’t ready for.  
  
Scott just hoped that if someday he couldn’t force himself to look away, she would.  
  
“Oh, I’ve been meaning to tell you something,” Tessa said, changing the topic and bringing back the easygoing mood. “Do you remember what the next date is?”  
  
Scott stopped for a second, mirroring his heart, before he realized she was talking about Kaitlyn and Andrew’s date. Not _their_ date. _Right, quick, what were the dates again?_ , he thought, trying to jog his memory and go back to the night they first agreed to this plan. A plan that he wasn’t so sure he thought to be genius anymore.  
  
_Coffee, dinner... food?_  
  
“Cooking class!” he yelled, having figured it out.  
  
Tessa almost jumped out of her seat, not expecting the sudden outburst. She laughed before confirming his guess. “Exactly. So, I’ve been thinking...”  
  
“Never a good idea,” Scott quipped, never missing the opportunity to tease his best friend. He winked as he watched Tessa roll her eyes, but remained quiet, waiting for her to continue.  
  
“Well, Tanya’s sister owns a cooking school here in Montreal so I was thinking I could text her and ask for her sister’s number? It’s better to get it done now since it’s supposed to take place soon.”  
  
“Sounds good, but am I supposed to know who Tanya is,” he answered with a question of his own, going through his mental catalogue of acquaintances and coming up empty.  
  
Tessa sighed, before giving him an hint. “A friend of mine? You met her at worlds last year?”  
  
“Right,” Scott said, his voice not sounding convincing at all. He believed he shook the hands of about a hundred women during those couple of days and he sure as well didn’t remember any of them.  
  
Tessa laughed, a bit exasperated, and jokingly pushed his shoulder. “Well, it doesn’t matter. Should I ask for the number?”  
  
Scott extended his arm, presenting his hand to her. He smiled as he observed her expression change. Her eyebrows furrowed and she pouted slightly, trying to understand why he wanted her to take his hand.  
  
Tessa grabbed it nonetheless and Scott stood up, showing her he had just wanted her help.  
  
Scott watched as she shook her head before placing a kiss on her forehead and finally responding to her question. “Sounds like a great idea. Why don’t you get the number while I shower?”  
  
Tessa nodded, grabbing her phone from the coffee table and busying herself with texting her friend.  
  
It didn’t take long for Tanya to get back to her and before she knew it, Tessa was on the phone with a nice young woman she didn’t know, about to book cooking lessons of all things.  
  
“Hello,” she heard the female voice say on the other end of the line.  
  
“Hi, is this Katie? I’m a friend of Tanya’s. I don’t know if she told you, but she just gave me your number.”  
  
“Tessa, right?”  
  
“Yes, exactly. I’m wondering if it’s possible for me to schedule some couples cooking classes,” Tessa asked, hoping the answer would be positive.  
  
“Absolutely. We have workshops on weekends for more experienced couples and three beginner plans. You can choose between 3, 6 and 9 lessons, depending on how in-depth you wish the classes to be,” the young woman explained.  
  
“Oh,” Tessa said, growing quiet when she realized she didn’t know what the best course of action would be. “I didn’t realize there would be that many options.”  
  
“Why don’t you and your partner stop by during the week and participate in one of the classes,” Tanya’s sister suggested, not giving Tessa time to respond before she continued. “After you’re done, you can come speak to me and choose the plan that best suits you two.”  
  
_Best suits you two? Wait..._  
  
“Oh, wait, no! The lessons aren’t for us, we’re just getting them for two friends of ours,” she awkwardly paused for a second before thinking it was better to add “who are a couple”.  
  
“Right! Well, my offer still stands. You two can come by and try it out before deciding on which plan to get,” she suggested. “For your friends, of course.”  
  
“I’ll need to talk to my friend about it first, but I don’t see a problem,” Tessa relented, the grimace on her face showing the exact opposite of what she had just said.  
  
“Of course! I’ll text you this week’s schedule and then you can let me know which class works for you.”  
  
“Thank you so much,” Tessa replied, finishing the call absentmindedly. Her mind was now focused on the fact that she had just agreed to attend a couples cooking class. With Scott. _And she had to cook._  
  
Oh, boy…

* * *

The two of them had freed their schedules for Wednesday night after taking a look at the schedule Katie had texted her. That was how Tessa ended up driving around Montreal with Scott giving her directions from the passenger seat.  
  
“Turn right after the next exit and we should be there,” Scott said with a grin on his face. She was glad he’d had the decency to keep his head down and pay attention to her phone instead of teasing her while she was driving to an unfamiliar location.  
  
He had been taunting her for the last couple of days, knowing full well the kitchen was bottom on the hypothetical list of her natural habitats. Scratch that, _it wasn’t even on the list_ . She guessed that’s why he didn’t seem annoyed when she had told him they would be spending a few of hours learning how to cook with other couples. He was too entertained to even complain.  
  
Tessa parked the car as close to the entrance as possible, her subconscious making sure she would have an escape route if necessary. You never know what could happen when Tessa Virtue was in charge of cooking something that wasn’t microwaveable.  
  
Scott got out of the car quickly and made sure to open the door for her while she grabbed her purse. He had noticed that Tessa appreciated the gesture on the night of their not-date so he was making an effort to do it more often. It was a simple gesture that used to be common practice when they were teenagers, but it had somehow gotten lost along the way.  
  
Tessa smiled at him before she started walking towards the school. Her steps were a bit shorter than usual and the smile she gave him was the one he typically got when Tessa was anxious about something she had no control over.  
  
“Do I look okay?” she asked, turning around sharply to face him again. “What does one even wear to a cooking class? You can’t be wearing expensive clothes because they might get ruined an-and workout clothes aren’t acceptable either—“  
  
“Hey,” Scott said, interrupting the word vomit he had been waiting for all day. He placed his hands on her shoulders and took a deep breath before continuing, “you’re okay. You look amazing and there’s nothing for you to worry about. You just need to get in there and do your best.”  
  
“What if my best isn’t good enough?” Tessa asked, her eyes not leaving his.  
  
He knew she was just asking for reassurance and he was a master at it. “I’ll be there too, okay? My best and yours together can beat everyone else’s in any circumstance, right?”  
  
She matched his smile with one of hers— a smile closer to the beautiful, confident grin he had grown used to— and they resumed walking towards the door with a sign that read _Ateliers & Saveurs. _

Scott was excited to show her that she _did_ have control over this situation and that while she wasn’t the best cooker in the world, she could improve if only she gave herself the chance to. He believed Tessa could do anything she put her mind to and maybe this class was all she needed.  
  
* * *    
  
Scott was wrong.  
  
He suspected it had all gone sideways when he assigned Tessa the role of making the sauce while he took care of the noodles. He hadn’t thought to taste it and by the time the ground beef was done, it was too late to go back.  
  
They had been getting ready to assemble the lasagna when the teacher, Miss Bilodeau, told everyone to do a little taste test and evaluate their progress.  
  
The two of them grabbed a spoon and tried a bit of the appetizing sauce. He hadn’t known why Tessa’s eyes had gone wide until it hit his tongue and the flavour computed in his mind. _It was sweet?_  
  
“How?” Scott whispered, not really knowing what else to say.  
  
Tessa just shook her head, eyes still wide, before she grabbed a napkin to sneakily wipe her tongue.  
  
“I have no idea,” she whispered hastily as she brought her hands up to rub her temples.  
  
Scott watched as she tried to remember what she could have possibly messed up and came up empty.  
  
Without needing to speak, they both agreed to continue making the dish and hopefully the very nice lady who was teaching them for the night wouldn’t suspect anything.  
  
Scott was right about that.  
  
They had continued cooking as if nothing had happened and put on some pretty convincing performances every time they had to eat a bite of the sugar-overdosed lasagna. Not fun, but years of acting on the ice turned out to be useful in some of the weirdest ways.  
  
When Miss Bilodeau asked why they hadn’t eaten much at the end of the class, they had wordlessly agreed on the “oh, we ate before we came” excuse. The older lady generously offered to put it in take-away containers for them to take home, but Tessa had declined.  
  
“We’ll be leaving town very soon so it would go to waste.”  
  
They had bought Kaitlyn and Andrew the six class program in case their friends turned out to be as disastrous in the kitchen as they had been and quickly left.  
  
They reversed roles and Scott drove them home, hoping that the directions would keep Tessa’s mind busy enough that she wouldn’t have the time to beat herself up over a stupid mistake. He wasn’t willing to bet on that, however, so he started thinking of what he could do to help.  
  
* * *  
  
Warm bath. Wine. Ice cream, movie and cuddles (the ice cream was optional). That was the plan he had ended up going with.  
  
As suspected, Tessa hadn’t said much apart from “turn here” on the way home, but he knew better than to force her to open up right away. She would come to him when she was ready and Scott would be waiting for her.  
  
As soon as they had gotten home, Scott went to the kitchen to grab a bottle of red wine and a glass before making his way to her bathroom. Tessa had looked confused when she found him next to her bathtub as she was about to walk into her closet, but she had quickly caught on, sending him a small smile of appreciation.  
  
He had left her alone during the thirty minutes she had stayed in there, only sending her a couple of texts to make sure she was still alive. The chances of Tessa drowning in a bathtub were slim to none— he was pretty sure the chances of him dying when she had shown up wearing nothing but her silk robe had been way higher—, but she found the messages funny so he indulged her.  
  
Thankfully—or not, depending on how you looked at it—, Tessa was wearing pyjamas by the time she joined him in the living room couch.  
  
She carefully fit her body against his, waiting for him to put his arm around her before she spoke. “I mixed up sugar and salt.”  
  
When he didn’t answer, she looked up and realized he had no idea what she was talking about, judging by the frown on his face.

“I found out how I screwed up the sauce. I added sugar twice instead of grabbing salt the second time around,” she murmured, moving to rest her head on his chest. _Maybe he wouldn’t be able to hear her that way..._  
  
“Tess,” he sighed, pulling her close to him before continuing, “that’s a mistake anyone could make.”  
  
“It’s a stupid mistake,” she insisted. “I know we joke about my lack of culinary skills, but you’d think I would be able to tell the difference between sugar and salt!”  
  
“You know what I think?” He waited until he felt her shake her head to give her the answer. “I think you might be a culinary genius, but you just don’t know it yet.”  
  
Tessa scoffed so he was quick to continue his train of thought. “Maybe you should try ordering one of those boxes Jordan gets all the time. That way you’ll have the ingredients and all you’ll need to do is stick to the recipe. We both know no one is as good at following instructions as you are, T.”  
  
“Maybe you’re right,” he heard her say. He couldn’t see what her expression looked like but if he was a betting man, he would say her expression had softened similarly to how the rest of her body had relaxed. “I’m just worried that I will always be terrible in the kitchen. I get along fine, but what about when...” she trailed off, hesitant to continue.  
  
“When,” he echoed, encouraging her to say what he suspected she would.  
  
“I don’t know. I just— I’d like to think I’ll have kids to worry about someday and I can’t just feed them take-out and boiled eggs everyday.”  
  
“You’re forgetting something,” Scott told her, leaning down so he could place a kiss on her forehead. “You won’t be doing it alone. Plus, it’s okay if cooking is not your forte... It would be really unfair if you were excellent at everything.”  
  
That finally got her to laugh for the first time in a few hours. It felt like he had succeeded at getting her to relax and let go of what was bothering her— at least for the time being— so he couldn’t ask for more.

“Let’s just hope Andrew and Kait do better. They’ve loved the dates so far and I’d hate to see them break up over something as ridiculous as putting pineapple on pizza.”

“I’m sure we’ll find out soon enough,” he replied, remembering how Kaitlyn had called Tessa right after the previous dates had ended.

She hummed in agreement before grabbing the remote and putting on a random episode of The Office for them to mindlessly enjoy. 

Maybe he spent most of the episode stopping himself from imagining being the one who would be there to help her when a hungry toddler wanted to be fed, maybe he didn’t…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HIIII! Yes, I’m still alive and I’m also incredibly sorry for taking so long to update this fic. I went on vacation for a week, university started right after and then our good old friend, writer’s block, paid me a visit.  
> I’d like to take a moment to thank you all for reading, but especially, the people who leave comments. You’re all incredibly sweet... Please know that I smile every time I read them.  
> Just like last time, I hope it was worth the wait!


	5. When it’s Dark, Look for the Stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The cooking class might have posed a challenge for Tessa, but did Kaitlyn and Andrew have better luck in the kitchen? That knowledge would surely be useful for the next date: a picnic.

“Have you thought of what food we should get,” Scott asked Tessa as she stood washing a plate beside him. The picnic was next on their list after the cooking classes had been deemed a success— for Kaitlyn and Andrew, at least— and he had no idea what you would even need for one.  
  
He had only planned a picnic once— almost fifteen years ago— and they never brought up that night after it happened. When they agreed to go on this date as well, he had been worried that he would spend the night thinking back to the time they parked his truck in a secluded area and decided that watching the stars and snacking on cheese and crackers was a very mature thing to do. Only that hadn’t been how the night had ended.  
  
The one thing that managed to bring his mind back to the present was a simple game of spot the differences: there would be no truck this time; the snacks would hopefully not consist solely of crackers and they weren’t hormonal teenagers anymore. Tessa was still inevitably by his side just like the stars were still in the sky. He believed that none of those aspects would change with the same degree of certainty.  
  
This time he snapped back to reality when Tessa handed him the plate so he could dry it.  
  
He took it from her hand and gratefully focused on the new task.  
  
“I’m thinking we tell them to prepare some of the food they learned to make and we can buy the drinks and some snacks just in case Kaitlyn already forgot how to cook,” Tessa replied, jokingly.  
  
Kaitlyn had always been the better chef out of them and Tessa had almost cried when she tasted the chocolate soufflé good, old Miss Bilodeau had taught the couple how to make the previous week. In that moment, she had internally shed a tear and mourned the fact that she would never succeed at making soufflés. She quickly got it together when she realized that her figure would end up suffering if that wasn’t the case.  
  
“It’s still early so we could go get those things today,” Scott suggested as he made sure to thoroughly dry the last plate. “Plus, we need to get groceries.”  
  
“I’m game if you are,” Tessa shrugged, not having any plans for the night.  
  
“Lead the way.”  
  
 * * *  
  
“How about you get our groceries and I start choosing the snacks for the picnic?” Tessa asked when Scott met her at the entrance, pushing a cart in front of him.  
  
“I mean—if we have to, sure,” Scott said, not particularly looking forward to getting the shopping done by himself. If he could, he always tried to lure Tessa into coming to the grocery store with him, knowing that if he was there alone, no ring on his left finger, he wouldn’t be leaving without having to talk with a stranger. A female stranger. Sometimes, a certain female stranger that seemed to sense whenever he decided to come to this store and tried to talk to him every single time. He sighed, beating himself up for being nice to her when she had approached him for the first time.  
  
“We don’t have to, but I doubt your number one fan will be here at this hour,” Tessa teased him, a smile playing on her lips as she tried not to laugh. She had been confused —and admittedly not too happy— when Scott had arrived home from the grocery store with a hot pink lipstick mark on his cheek a few months back, but watching him grumpily ramble about this one woman was too funny. “Divide and conquer, you know?”  
  
“Yeah, I have the list with me so let me know if you think of anything else you might need,” he said as he moved to plant a light kiss on her forehead before walking off to the left.

Tessa watched as he made his way to the toiletry aisle. That was the moment she remembered she had written down _tampons_ on that list. Her eyes widened and she stood still for a second before she reminded herself that this wasn’t any of her previous boyfriends, this was _Scott_ . The same Scott that was probably too familiar with her cycle and had once shown up at her house with not only tampons, but chocolate, popcorn, Advil and a stuffed animal when she had told him she wasn’t feeling well and wouldn’t be able to meet him that day.  
  
Her face relaxed into a small smile and she shook her head slightly before heading off to search for what she needed.  
  
Tessa hadn’t exactly thought about what she should get for a picnic so she went for the easiest strategy and grabbed whatever looked appropriate. By the time she was done, the basket she had picked up at some point was filled to the top with finger foods and the drinks she had chosen. She went with chocolate milk for them, Kaitlyn’s favorite orange juice for their friends and at the end had impulsively grabbed two bottles of red wine. Just in case.  
  
Scott had texted her at that moment, letting her know that he was ready to leave as well, so they met up by the cash registers. Not having to wait in line was an added bonus of shopping at a later time than they usually did so it wasn’t long before they were out of there.  
  
* * *  
  
Tessa called Kaitlyn after they had gotten home from the store and put the groceries away, and right away her friend mentioned that she couldn’t wait to have dinner under the stars. Those had been the words that triggered the memory Tessa had spent a good portion of her teenage years trying to unsuccessfully bury.  
  
She was surprised that she hadn’t thought of it when they had been planning the dates in the first place. After all, that night had been the subject of her younger self’s dreams for a while.  
  
After hours of tossing and turning in bed because her brain would _not_ shut up, Tessa wished she hadn’t remembered it at all. She grabbed a glass of water from the kitchen and moved to couch, thinking that reading a book or watching television would stop her mind from reliving all the memories that had been subsequently unlocked.  
  
Yearning, sadness, happiness, hurt, heartbreak... you name it, she and Scott had gone through it, but it helped shape the people they were today, and she liked this version of them.  
  
That was how Scott found her the next morning... curled up on the couch with a book clutched to her chest and a small smile on her face. He debated waking her up, but ultimately chose to cover her with a warm blanket and let her sleep while he cooked them breakfast.  
  
* * *  
  
Scott had been partially right this time around.  
  
There was no truck to be seen, but as he looked down at the food Tessa had placed in front of them his mind focused on two key items. He didn’t know if she had done it on purpose or if she had been craving the specific snack that neither of them had eaten for the longest time, but he wasn’t about to ask.  
  
Kaitlyn and Andrew were about 60 feet in front of them, already happily chatting. Tessa and Scott had chosen to sit next to a big tree that he had dubbed their favorite a while ago.  
  
They started coming to this park whenever they had some free time on the weekends. Tessa would bring her book of choice and he would lean back against ‘their’ tree with her sitting between his legs. Sometimes he would bring a book of his own, but more often than not, he enjoyed relaxing and watching the people around them.  
  
There was this family that would always sit on the bench a few feet from them. They had befriended the couple after their little girl, Tali, had accidentally thrown a ball at them. The baby had crawled over to where they were sitting, intent on playing with them, but the parents had quickly come over to apologize and retrieve the screaming baby, who didn’t seem happy to leave their side. Tessa had smiled at him and he had reassure the parents that they wouldn’t mind entertaining the child for a little while.

After that day, Tessa would often ‘forget’ her book and they would spend their time playing with little Tali and catching up with their new friends.  
  
Now, they were sitting in that same spot, but under very different circumstances. They were back to being—almost— alone, but with the soft moonlight and a few street lamps casting shadows in lieu of the sun. It almost looked like an entirely different place.  
  
“Do you want some?” he heard Tessa ask as she held some grapes in her hand. He opened his mouth and she fed him one, laughing quietly in the process.  
  
The night progressed similarly as they ate, enjoyed the other’s presence and checked in on their friends from time to time.  
  
It seemed like they had a talent for matchmaking... Every time they glanced at Kaitlyn and Andrew they had been leaning on each other, their backs turned to Tessa and Scott. If he was being honest, Scott thought he saw them kiss a few times, but he had looked away quickly.  
  
Eventually, they pulled their blanket away from the tree and laid it flat on the grass to lie down, wanting to stargaze for a while. Scott still wasn’t sure whether Tessa remembered the last time they had been in a similar situation, but when he saw the brand of cheese she had picked out, he was sure that at the very least her subconscious did.  
  
“You’re seeing that constellation right there? The one that looks like a fat arrow?” he asked, pointing to the general vicinity he was referring to.  
  
“Mmm, the one over there?” Tessa asked for confirmation as she pointed to what she thought looked like a “fat arrow”.  
  
“Yeah, that constellation is called Sagittarius and it’s about a thousand light-years away from earth,” he stated matter-of-factly.  
  
“Oh, really? What about the one that looks like a crown?” Tessa wondered, knowing full well what her best friend was doing.  
  
“That one is called Reina and is 5000 light-years away from earth. Oh, and the one that’s shaped like a kite? It’s 300 light-years away and it’s called Papiro.”  
  
Tessa laughed, turning her head to the side so she could look at him. “That’s actually the Leo constellation and it’s only 36 light-years away from us.”  
  
He mimicked her actions, turning his head so their faces were now just a couple of inches apart. “Are you implying that everything I’ve ever told you about constellations is made up?” He questioned, gasping as if he was truly shocked.  
  
He watched as the wrinkles around her eyes became prominent when she laughed. He absolutely loved seeing those wrinkles, but he loved it even more when she casually blamed them on him. Just like getting the hang of a lift or perfecting a certain step sequence, he considered making her smile one of his daily goals.  
  
“Yeah, I knew back then too,” he heard her say as she went back to staring at the sky.  
  
He took a deep breath and studied her expression, trying to gauge how she felt about the situation. Oddly enough, she didn’t look particularly angry or sad about how they had failed to discuss their almost first time after it happened. She didn’t look frustrated with him for having been afraid to ruin them back then. More importantly, she didn’t look like she regretted it either.  
  
He glanced back at the stars and realized that he was just as in peace with it as she seemed to be. They had never discussed this particular instance in therapy, but by working through their other issues and working on themselves, they had inadvertently learned to accept other things.  
  
It had felt natural, they had loved each other in their own way and it had happened— or almost happened. It was part of their history.  
  
“You know, I still think you look particularly beautiful in the moonlight,” he muttered, careful to show he was in the same wavelength as her.  
  
Scott watched as the corners of her mouth lifted into the smile he was fortunate to see almost every day.  
  
He wondered if she was going to follow his lead and repeat what she had said back then. It was unlikely and he wouldn’t know how to respond to that— actually no, he knew exactly how he would respond to that. He just didn’t know if they were ready for that. Not when they were so focused on their careers.  
  
“And I’m still grateful to have you,” he heard her say quietly, in place of the “I think I love you” from years past.  
  
He didn’t know if what he was about to do was a good idea in that particular moment, but he wanted to be close to her, so he placed his right arm around her shoulders, and dropped a kiss on her cheek. He waited for her cue and brought her closer when she moved to rest her head on his chest.  
  
Tessa took a deep breath, taking in the familiar smell that she had labeled as _Scott_ in her mind many years ago. Jordan had once joked that she would be able to pick out Scott from a line of strangers and vice versa based on scent alone, considering the amount of time they spent “buried in the other’s neck”. She had laughed it off at the time, but from that moment she often wondered if Scott was as aware of her as she was of him— more so since their life changing decision to go back to competition.  
  
Sometimes she would catch him staring at her for longer than usual with an unreadable expression on his face. That was usually when Tessa would start believing that maybe she wasn’t projecting her feelings onto him like she feared. However, it only lasted until he snapped out of it a second later and went back to joking about whatever the topic of the day was, leaving her with a sense of whiplash.  
  
Her partner was confusing and their relationship bordered on those-math-problems-she-hated level of complex... yet, this was the happiest she believed they had been in a long time.  
  
* * *  
  
It didn’t take long for Tessa to feel herself starting to doze off so Scott gathered everything and they headed home before that could happen.  
  
Not wanting to go to bed alone after that, she suggested watching something on the television after they got ready for bed. She joined Scott on the couch when she was done taking a shower and had put on her pyjamas— some old shorts and a t-shirt that wasn’t quite hers, but had also never solely been Scott’s. Tessa let him choose what they would be watching, fully aware that she wouldn’t be paying much attention to it anyway.  
  
He seemed to know that too, because in no time she was laying on the couch with seventy percent of her body on top of his as they listened to the recap of some baseball game he had missed earlier that evening.  
  
It wasn’t something that she was particularly interested in, but the monotonous voice coming from the television and the movement of Scott’s chest as he breathed turned out to be an almost perfect combination. It wasn’t until he brought his hand up to her hair and started playing with it— an old habit of theirs that could very well be her favorite— that she truly felt completely content.

There was nothing else in the world that she needed in that moment. Not even a chocolate soufflé could make it better...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, it’s me! I finally updated this fic! As always, I’m sorry it’s taken so long. University is still a pain in the behind (nothing new about that).  
> I’m still just as grateful for everyone who takes their time to read (and hopefully enjoy) this story, leave kudos and maybe even a comment (they make my day).  
> Just like last time, I hope it was worth the wait!


End file.
